Tunnelling the safe way

What are the key demand drivers influencing the metro equipment market (urbanization, infra investments, government initiatives, etc.)?

- Manoj Garg, Managing Director – Herrenknecht India, talks about safer tunnelling, and sustainable metro growth

The metro equipment market is driven by urban growth, infrastructure investments, technological leapfrogging, sustainability mandates, utility needs, and emerging-market dynamics—all of which align closely with Herrenknecht’s strengths in innovation, localization, and project-specific engineering in India. Investing in public transportation is one of the key to tackle the challenging combination of growth and sustainability. New mobilities are to be constructed. Mechanized tunnelling is the preferred solution in dense urban corridors; Herrenknecht’s project references (Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai etc.) show repeat demand for TBMs that can work safely under congested city centres.

How have the equipment requirements for metro projects changed in recent years compared to earlier phases?

Herrenknecht’s factory capacity in Chennai and local project deliveries has reduced the lead times and risk for Indian contractors. Safety, energy and costs savings are some of the growing requirements. Our industry acknowledged this and adapted. Safety is one game changer: thanks to state-of-the-art technology, tunnel boring machines have become safer and safer. Innovations in mechanized tunnelling improve occupational safety: mechanized and remote-controlled equipment reduces manual work in potentially hazardous areas.